Old Training Notes

I used to train like a regimented fiend. Looking back, it looks silly! But I don't mind my dedication. I am much mellower now, though, may even climb harder. I now just climb and do exercises to get and stay strong. But youth is what it is. It may have taken these dedications to get to where I feel now, so much more free, so much stronger in fact. (If it helps, well, I am 35, can climb V13 on a wall, happy to still be strong and able after all these years; am trying to climb the V13 in Missouri, but it is hard, am weak now, 20 lbs overweight after toe surgery; and yet love discovering new areas even if I can not climb just yet.) I hope whoever reads this will never shut the light out on themselves, whatever works! Actually, I believe it is a combination of training and letting go that will get you up some really sick climbs! We are seeing that today if you read the climbing news...

These notebook pages are 18 years old now, taken around a time I had been climbing less than 2 years, a time when I just was breaking into climbing 5.13s and hadn't yet realized just how much of a boulderer I am, and love for bouldering above all else. I find myself reflecting on a time in American climbing milieu... and remember the rock and holds pulling on. I began to really feel at my place by 1995, I stopped competing, I stopped taking notes, and I began bouldering a ton in Lake Tahoe, resurged old classics at Indian Rock, and put down my rope for sick slopey wood holds and tiered roofs and wave walls as I learned crazy movements and training while in Sheffield, England, courtesy Johnny Dawes and gang. I had my first beer in Sheffield, and played my first game of pool, ever. I was 19, then. These notes, 18.

Today, I would never be regimented with any climbing. Perhaps that is why I climb better now? Or perhaps it was then I did?

These pages are recycled, now. I've kept just these few here. It's amazing, but we climbed hard during these years; I think we tried too hard. Funny, now we don't try hard enough, and seem to climb harder. These pages look silly but they are important: Climbed hard before the time. So these notes...they are captured innocent discoveries, as simple as they are.

There was much to send, then. (Several of my old bolted projects are still unsent.)



Many pages I have left out, but you can imagine. Tuesday, Feb 7th, I bolted, and rested. Friday, Feb 8th, I bolted. Sunday, Feb 26 I bouldered medium hard, and did 5 sets of something.

We trained too hard, I remember. I trained a lot with the strong Timy Fairfield, lived off my sponsor Power Bars, and scared people like Rob Candelaria at CATS before knowing it just yet; that a youth movement would be on its way in America. (It was just over a year later Chris Sharma would prove this, first at an event, one that Christian Griffith and myself and friend set for; Christian believed I made the semi-finals route too hard, and thus he made it easier, all climbers flashing it; I knew the young, us, were going to need harder climbs).

So methodical I was at this time!

A schedule

By 1992 I had been flashing V6s, by '94 V9s, but by 1995, I would try the Dominator, wasn't quite strong or good enough just yet for it, or perhaps was, and yet knew this was what I loved. That amazing clean granite, the forest, the warm sunshine, the crisp air, the smell of pine and other trees, those steep gymnastic moves, I was at home. But only had an hour to try it! Then I got injured on a road trip and had to take some time off, taking years before returning.

Last day of climbing

I am very happy now I still climb! I loved it then, I love it now. Hope you enjoyed these notes! To your joy, to your goals, fellow climber!